


Until Death Do Us Part

by WitchFee



Category: Borderlands
Genre: Kinda bad ending, Kissing, M/M, a bit of violence, bets between two best friends, halloween party, no one dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 05:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8433187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchFee/pseuds/WitchFee
Summary: Halloween the time of the year, where the dead finally can wander around in the world of the living and the people wear costumes to scare away the demons and monsters normally laying beneath their feet. It's that time of the year, where you should especially (not) walk on the streets in the night alone. Who knows, who you meet there in the dark alley? Or just in your own living room? Or in the mirror, when you finally see the true monster behind that fake smile on your face.





	

**Author's Note:**

> That's my halloween special to you! Yay! It's not that scary, but at least it has something to do with the day. :D  
> Hope you like it and yeah enjoy this scary spooky day!

Halloween the time of the year, where the dead finally can wander around in the world of the living and the people wear costumes to scare away the demons and monsters normally laying beneath their feet. It's that time of the year, where you should especially _not_  walk on the streets in the night alone. Who knows, who you meet there in the dark alley? Or just in your own living room? Or in the mirror, when you finally see the true monster behind that fake smile on your face.

**~~~**

Rhys and Vaughn sit together on their couch in their small apartment down on Pandora. They wanted to celebrate Halloween somewhere else, than Helios with their shitty CEO Tassiter. It's still a miracle that no one ever tried to claim the position as the CEO for themselves, after all the time Tassiter ruled over the space station. The halloween party on Helios is pretty cool and you get all the alcohol you want, but after the 10th time it gets boring. Well, the party down here, was definitely something else and kinda exciting. It's something for you, if you don't mind to fear for your life all the time. Pandorians are really trigger happy, when they celebrate or when you're from Hyperion. Strangely it's not so good when you work for the douchiest company in the universe.

Rhys remembers two girls really good, because like everybody hadn't paid them much mind, until these two girls showed up and observed Rhys and Vaughn all the time. Then in the middle of a song, one of them, the one with the hat, took the microphone and yelled, that there are two Hyperion assholes among them. Of course _t_ _hen_  everyone looked at the only ones out of place, Rhys and Vaughn. Then they left the party pretty quickly, because it's not so nice celebrate with a bunch of guys, who want to see you dead or nearly dead at least.

,,Next time on Helios again?", Vaughn had asked on their way back to their apartment, when they finally weren't chased by bandits. Rhys nodded so fast, that he got slightly dizzy, but that was nothing compared to the dizziness after the long run. Vaughn was slightly out of breath, but all in all fine and not nearly dying like Rhys. His best friend had just laughed and said, that he should really do more sports or get fit at least for their next trip down to Pandora.

Now they just sit around with a beer in their hand and watching a TV show on their small TV. It's nothing like the series or TVs on Helios. The frame is all blurry and you can't see every detail, because it's in the size of a damn microwave. ,,Happy Halloween, bro.", Rhys says with a sigh and leans back into their dirty yellow couch. _At least it's not a cartboard box we're sitting on._  ,,Bro, can you give me hotspot? I can't get into the ECHO.net with my glasses, because the connection is like not there.", Vaughn mumbles and fumbles around with his glasses. ,,Yeah sure, Happy Halloween to myself as well." He gives Vaughn access to his connection and Vaughn thanks him quickly. ECHO eyes always have access to the ECHO.net wherever you are, this kinda makes the surgery a bit more worth it. Just a tiny bit. He still shivers, when he thinks about future surgeries on his eye, because it has to be updated or maybe replaced. _I was such an idiot._

Suddenly an image from an old and empty hospital pops up and Rhys tries to get it away, but it always reappears. ,,Vaughn, how many times do I have to tell you, to not send me some pictures?", Rhys asks him annoyed and Vaughn looks at him offended. ,,It has a reason, why I always send this to you! Look at it!", Vaughn replies excited and with a roll of his eyes, Rhys looks at the article. _Generally Hospital. Abandoned hospital after outbreak from a disease, which killed everyone in it. The disease was cured shortly after, but no one wanted to go back to this place, because some say it's haunted._  With a huff Rhys closes the article and looks at Vaughn. ,,And?", he asks his best friends, what the hell the article should've said him. ,,I bet you're too scared to walk through it once." _Of course, it has to be something like that._  ,,Okay, let's go and check it out." They do this since they're kids, so Rhys doesn't argue with Vaughn anymore and just does it.

,,Shouldn't we maybe do this tomorrow? Here could be still some bandits, that want to see us dead.", Rhys whispers to Vaughn, while they walk to the hospital. ,,You are just scared.", Vaughn mocks him and Rhys punches him lightly. ,,Yeah, I'm scared for our lives, because some people want to make a face pizza party with us." Vaughn waves that away and looks at Rhys with a huge smirk. ,,Huge baby."

**~~~**

They stand in front of the huge building and then look at each other, both smirking. Rhys is armed with a flashlight, that he can use to punsh a skag unconsiously. ,,You ready?", Vaughn asks him without any concerns and Rhys nods casually. They both were at much more scarier places than a hospital. ,,Couldn't be more ready."

Rhys walks through the hallways of the hospital and he hums a melody lowly. Fortunately he hears the wind outside and so it's not all to quiet in the building. Until now he hadn't seen something unusal, just some hospital beds, wheelchairs and syringes. While he walked through one of the rooms, he grabbed a scapel, just to protect himself from whatever may be in here. Now he just plays around with it and whirls it around in his hand. ,,Go away.", suddenly a very quiet voice says to him and Rhys swears that he felt the breath at his neck. ,,Hello? Is there someone?", he asks into the darkness of the hallways and continues his walk shortly after. _There were much scarier places, that I visited. Like the asylum, where a whole camera team died in and I survived that. Maybe I should leave, but then Vaughn will think because I'm scared._  He wants to walk through a door to get deeper into the building, but suddenly they close themselves and Rhys flinches back lightly. _God, I hate wind so much._  When he stands in front of the door, he tries to open them again, but they don't move an inch. ,,Dammit.", he mumbles and turns to head back. Just in that second, a squiek echos through the hallway and the doors a lightly open. _Not that Vaughn gets carried away by the wind._  This time, he can walk through the doors without them shutting and he looks around. _Intensive station_ , he reads on one of the signs and with a shrug he walks there. _If there's nothing, then I head back and tell Vaughn, that this was a real waste of time._

After Rhys had looked at all the signs on the walls, he looks straight ahead again and suddenly there stands a person with its hair in its face. It wears a doctor mock and his stomach falls lightly. _That's just in my imagination._  ,,Go away.", Rhys mumbles over and over and when he looks at the person again, he notices that it came closer. _Fuck._  ,,GO AWAY!", he yells and the person looks up to him. ,,You go away immediately or I will have fun possessing your body.", the woman says with a smile and she walks closer to him. Rhys turns to walk back, even when he doesn't want to give up to some imagination he has, but what can he do. Then there's suddenly another figure but more shadowy and more creepy. The shadow figure moves kinda trembling and smirks to Rhys. Rhys doesn't move and just stares at the strange thing in front of him. ,,RUN!", the thing suddenly screams and Rhys runs away from it in the direction from the woman and good for him she's not there anymore. The shadow laughs loudly behind him.

In front of the doors to the intensive station he stops to catch his breath. _Enough running for this day._  When he opens the doors, he sees light shining from one of the ceiling lamps, but before he can see more, the lights goes out. ,,Of course." He wants to light into the room with his flashlight, but the damn thing stops working and he curses a few times. Still he enters the room and then there's the voice again. ,,Leave as long as you can." A hand strokes over his shoulder and he jumps away from it into another person and he wants to punsh the thing with his flashlight. But his wrist gets grabbed and he can't protect himself anymore. Then the lights go on and Rhys sighs in relief. ,,Thank godness. A normal person, finally!", Rhys would've kissed the person, if it wouldn't have been so weird. ,,Yeah, what else, pumpkin?", the other man laughs and lets go of his wrist. _Dammit, he's handsome. With the heterochrometic eyes and this hair._  ,,So, what's your name, adventure guy?" Rhys chuckles lightly and tries to get his breathing under control. _I should really do sports._  ,,Rhys and yours, mysterious guy?", he replies and the handsome man smooths back his hair. ,,Jack, some even call me Handsome Jack. But you can call me whatever you like." Jack ends this with a very obvious wink and Rhys rolls his eyes with a smile.

With a new friend at his side, Rhys continues his way to investigate the hospital. He wanted to go back, but with a new companion it's more fun walking through such a building and maybe he finds some treasure or goodies, and the lights are finally on. When Jack suddenly curses besides him, he wants to ask why, but before he can ask the question, he feels his own consious slipping away. He still can see through his own eyes, but he doesn't have control over his body anymore. ,,You won't have this kid, Jack!", Rhys hears himself saying, but this aren't his words and he feels so useless in his own body. Then his body turns to go away and he wants to make his legs stop desperately, but nothing responds to him. Suddenly he gets turned around and there's Jack again. ,,Help me!", he yells, but nothing comes out of his mouth, it doesn't even move. Jack then just kisses Rhys and he doesn't feel the pressure on his own lips. Strangely he starts to feel more and more, until he's fully back and then Jack stops kissing him. ,,Okay...that was weird.", Rhys finally says and this time these are his own words. ,,Yeah sorry for that, but ghosts don't like it, when you kiss them. But next time I can really kiss _you_." Rhys chuckles lightly and shakes his head. ,,No, but thank you."

,,So why are you here in the first place?", Jack asks him, while they look a bit around in the birth station. ,,I have a bet with my best friend, that I can walk through this hospital without being scared or running out of it screaming at least.", Rhys answers with a light laugh and Jack shakes his head. ,,That was dumb." He doesn't understand, what Jack means with it and looks at him confused. ,,Like there are so many more places, that are really scary. We could visit one some day, huh?" Rhys nods and searches through a pile of newspapers. ,,So why are you here and why didn't you leave, when here are ghosts?", Rhys asks back and the other man doesn't reply immediately. ,,I wanted to check this place out and maybe put the ghosts to rest, that's why they tolerate me." After a short moment, Jack talks again. ,,But enough of me, I'm not that interesting. What do you do for a living?" Rhys' smile falls, when he remembers, that he has to fly back up to Helios in two days and work for Tassiter again. ,,I work for Hyperion, Tassiter. Maybe you know him. Old asshole, who just doesn't die." Jack stops looking at papers and looks at Rhys with a blank expression. ,,Old bastard.", he mumbles, but he snaps out of it and quickly his smirk is back on his face. ,,Ah yeah, Tassiter and I, we didn't got along." He decides to let it slide, because he doesn't want to let Jack feel uncomfortable or make him upset.

When Rhys picks up a newspaper, a small piece of paper falls out of it and he looks at it closer. _Hyperion programmer dies, because of CEO. The young and ambitious programmer Jack got murdered by the CEO Tassiter himself, after he blamed him for the explosion and scar across his face. Jack will always be known, as 'Handsome Jack'_  Below the text there's a picture of the dead programmer and it's the same face as the Jack here in the room. _Oh fuck, I have to leave quickly._  ,,Oh dammit!", Rhys curses and tries his best to calm his voice. ,,What's wrong?", Jack asks and quickly comes over to him. ,,I have to leave quickly. My best friend waits in front of the hospital and I don't want to worry him. Can you lead me outside?" Jack sighs and looks at him annoyed. ,,Deep inside this building you can find 10 million dollars. Come on, let's just grab that and then you can leave." Rhys shakes his head and Jack starts to look mildly angry. ,,I want to go, Jack." The dead programmer walks towards him and Rhys backs off, while he holds the scapel with one of his hands. Luckily he had put it into the back pocket of his jeans and so it doesn't look too obvious. Jack still comes closer to Rhys and looks at him madly. Just before Jack can reach Rhys, he pushes the scapel into the shoulder from Jack and waits for him to break down or at least whimper because of the pain. Jack looks at his shoulder and pulls the scapel out of it with a bored expression. ,,Oh, you shouldn't have done that.", he whispers with a wide smirk and while he takes the final step to Rhys the lights go out. _Okay, I'm dead now._  But nothing happens and the lights go on and Jacks laugh echos through the room.

As fast as possible, Rhys runs out of the room and straight the way back. ,,You won't get away, Rhysie." Jacks voice sounds like he's directly next to him, but that can't be, because Rhys runs and that not slow. After a few corners, Rhys has lost the direction. _Left or right? And where's the intensive station? Wasn't it on the way and what's with the door that closed on me first?_  ,,Problems finding your way out?", Jack whispers into his ear and Rhys turns around to face Jack. But it's not the masked face he sees, it's the unmasked with the fresh scar across his face. Rhys swears he smells the burned flesh from Jack and he feels sick. ,,Not so handsome anymore, huh? No one loves someone so ugly like me. I'm a monster." Jacks voice is full of burning rage and self-hatred and strangely Rhys wnats to comfort him. ,,Jack...I'm sorry." _What's wrong with me? For what I'm sorry?_  ,,No, you aren't." Suddenly Rhys' own face feels like it gets burned and he screams in pain. But as fast as the pain came, it's away and Jack suddenly touches Rhys' face softly. ,,I thought it would feel good, to let you feel the same pain I felt years ago. But it didn't." The lights starts to flicker and everytime the lights are on for one second, Rhys sees the shadow figure in front of him with Jacks smirk. ,,Run, you damn idiot." Rhys first doesn't move, but then the shadow Jack in front of him screams at him. He runs and runs, even so Rhys knows it's useless, because he can't escape Jack. The lights still flicker and in some seconds, he sees the normal Jack smiling at him, then the scarred one, sometimes the shadow figure and even a sceleton smirks at him every now and then. After so many corners, he can't tell if he cries, because of the lack of oxygen he gets or because he's scared or because the realization, that he will never see anybody outside this hospital ever. _Guess it's a mixture of everything._

Rhys stops in the middle of the same hallway he ran for over 30 minutes now and falls down on the cold stone floor. He feels like he can't breath and the floor doesn't feel so cold at all anymore. It's comfortable for Rhys and he waits for something to happen. For his heart to stop and for this nightmare to end. His vision gets blurry and slowly but surely it fades away. ,,That's no end for me.", Jack says above him with a toothy smirk and he leans down to kiss Rhys. He feels the cold lips from Jack lightly and in the second he would breath the last second, he suddenly sits up and he breaths quickly and heavily. Every time oxygen comes into his lungs it burns like fire and he feels the tears falling down his cheek. Jack leans in one more time and the smile on his face looks so soft, like the one from an old lover. ,,You will never leave me."


End file.
